Dubai to get a futuristic tube transport system by 2020

Dubai has set in motion an ambitious plan to make ultra-futuristic vacuum travel a reality. The concept was introduced by none other than Elon Musk in 2013, with his white paper Hyperloop Alpha.

Hyperloop is an incredible concept where small pods that can carry people move through vacuumised tubes, in speeds exceeding 1,220 km/h.

Los Angeles-based Hyperloop One was a company that was born specifically to test Musk’s concept. In less than two years, the startup has managed to rise more than US$90 million and set up a 10,000-square meter factory in Las Vegas.

The company has now signed an agreement with Dubai’s Road and Transport Authority to study the potential for building a line that will link Dubai to Emirati capital of Abu Dhabi by 2020.

The Dubai team will work with McKinsey & Co. and the Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) to build fully automated system, where self driving pod like vehicles can transport up to 6 people at a time. Passengers will not need to wait in stations, as high arrival and departure-rate of the pods will allow on demand travel. Just go the station, enter a pod and you will be in Abu Dhabi in 12 minutes.

Here is the crazy part, these pods will also be able to move through roads, pick you up from you location and drive you to the station.

The new transport system will be designed to fit into the current infrastructure of the city.